The Women's Center of Montgomery County will celebrate five decades of serving domestic violence survivors with a 50th anniversary gala on Thursday, Oct. 15, at The Highlands Mansion and Gardens in Fort Washington.
The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at the historic Whitemarsh Township estate at 7001 Sheaff Lane. Supporters, volunteers and community leaders will gather in the late 18th-century Georgian mansion, completed in 1796, which sits on a 59-acre property with a two-acre formal garden.
The evening's keynote speaker is Katie Koestner, a sexual violence survivor and advocate who leads the Take Back the Night Foundation. Koestner came forward publicly in 1991 about an alleged rape at the College of William & Mary when she was 18, becoming the first person to publicly share an experience of alleged date rape. She appeared on the cover of TIME magazine and founded the educational organization Campus Outreach Services in 1994, Glenside Local reported. Her advocacy has shaped federal student safety legislation.
The gala will also feature the first look at a trailer for a documentary about the center, produced by Melissa Davey.
"The reality is that our services are needed now more than ever," executive director Maria Macaluso said in the gala announcement. She called the documentary "a call to action" and urged the community to join the celebration.
Founded in 1976, the Women's Center is a volunteer-driven organization focused on freedom from domestic violence and other forms of abuse. The center's LinkedIn page lists approximately 5,000 people served each year across Montgomery County, with roughly 185 volunteers. It operates offices in Meadowbrook and Wyncote and runs the Second Chances Thrift Shoppe at 318 Leedom St. in Jenkintown.
The organization launched its anniversary year in March with an International Women's Day celebration, North Penn Now reported.
Tickets and sponsorship details are available at wcmontco.org. The center's 24/7 crisis hotline is 1-800-773-2424.
Upcoming
- Thursday, Oct. 15: Women's Center of Montgomery County 50th Anniversary Gala, 6–8 p.m., The Highlands Mansion and Gardens, 7001 Sheaff Lane, Fort Washington. Tickets at wcmontco.org.
